Standing before Love

Sasha would whisper to Lily from time to time since there was a hint of reluctance on the latter’s face, but she nodded her head quietly in the end.

Soon after, Logan and Leo came down to welcome them. It was only at that moment when Lily kept her design plans away.

For some reason, Myra suddenly had a weird feeling.

As soon as Logan came down and saw her, his eyes immediately brightened as he tried to stride over to her. However, Leo stepped on Logan’s foot, causing him to suppress his facial expression in a hurry. After that, they both walked over to the ladies and said gently, “Miss Stark and Miss Hay, both of you must be ready, right?”

Myra and Sasha nodded their heads.

Upon seeing Myra, Logan’s smile seemed to have softened. When he turned toward Sasha, his smile became a little indifferent instead, but he was still polite toward her. “I heard that Miss Hay and Miss Torres have been here all afternoon. Looks like you two are quite enthusiastic.”

Lily’s face slightly changed, but Sasha quickly tugged her hand before she smiled at Logan. “The early bird gets the worm. It’s also better for us to respond to any sudden changes.” Suddenly, she turned toward Myra. “Am I right, Myra?”

Even though Myra felt a bit strange, she still nodded her head.

Soon, all of them rocked up to the meeting room on the 48th floor. In the room, Tony and the other managers from every department were already seated.

As soon as the four of them entered the room, they quickly sat at their arranged seats.

To be fair, each company would have needed to draw lots to decide who would start the presentation first. The moment Sasha received the first pick, the smile on her face suddenly widened. “Myra, we’ll start our report first.”

For some reason, her smile was exceptionally bright and it made Myra feel a little uneasy in her heart. Something shook her mind, but she could not pinpoint what it was.

However, as soon as the Hay Group laid out their design plans under the lights, she immediately realized what went wrong. For a moment, her face instantly turned pale.

After the design plans were laid out, it was almost a meter long and everyone around the table was able to clearly see every inch of the drawing.

The contents of the design plan were exactly the same as Myra’s!

No, wait. That design plan is practically mine! I have even checked it personally this morning! Look at those familiar little folds, corners and countless little details that I’ve changed! This drawing is practically mine!

While holding the design plan in her hands, her fingers started to pale as well.

If that design draft is mine, it means the paper in my hand is a… Needless to say, it has been secretly changed.

“Myra, what is it?” Tilly’s concerned voice was heard beside her. Upon seeing her pale face, Tilly assumed Myra felt that the Hay Group’s designs were much better than theirs, so she quickly comforted her. “Don’t worry. Since we are already here, let’s show everyone how good your design is. I trust you!”

However, Myra’s entire body froze as she did not know what to say. Immediately, she shot a glance at Sasha, who sat opposite her.

At that moment, Sasha’s eyes were filled with disdain as she seemed to be paying attention on Myra. The moment she met Myra’s gaze, she slowly revealed a smirk before she coldly pouted her lips. It isn’t possible for Sasha to swap the design plans without me knowing about it because I never left it out of my sight. Also, I’ve even checked the plans this morning. The only time it wasn’t in my sight was… at noon when I wasn’t at my work station! Who is it?! Who is the one who changed my design plans and gave it to the Hay Group?!

Quickly, an image surfaced in her mind—after taking a few deep breaths, she finally suppressed the rage inside her. Elsie Foster! How dare you!

Not far away, Tony glanced at her and he seemed to notice that there was something wrong with her expression, so he furrowed his brows slightly.

Leo followed his gaze and he also noticed the gloom on Myra’s face, so he whispered, “Do I need to ask Miss Stark whether there is a problem?”

“No.” Tony withdrew his eyes and he gently tapped on the desk with the finger on his right hand to redirect Leo’s attention to the Hay Group’s designs.

Usually, it was Sasha’s job to present the Hay Group’s designs, but this time, it was the designer, Lily, who personally explained the designs.

After roughly perusing the designs, Tony furrowed his brows inexplicably. Lily’s explanation is perfect. She has a deep understanding of the designs, so she is able to explain every detail very clearly. There are a few tiny mistakes on the data, but it’s not a big deal.

After a round of applause, it was time for the Chase Group to present their report.

Meanwhile, Myra’s palms were already coated in a layer of perspiration. If I leave now, I’ll only be handing the Sunny Bay Project over to them. She was unwilling to be framed, but if she went ahead and presented the design plans in her hands, she would only end up embarrassing herself!

As she was placed in a difficult situation, many emotions started flashing across her face.

At that moment, everyone was still whispering about how perfect the Hay Group’s designs were, but as soon as they noticed the motionless Myra, they started talking in hushed tones.

On the other side, Sasha’s concerned voice was heard. “Myra, what is it? Are you sick? Do you need to rest for a while before continuing with your presentation?”

“No.” Myra wore a cold face as she stood up from her seat and went up the stage.

“Myra, the design plans…”

When Tilly saw Myra throwing the design plans aside, she halted her in surprise.

Instead, Myra turned toward Lily. “Miss Torres, do you mind if I use ‘your’ design plans?”

As she had heavily emphasized on the word ‘your’, sure enough, Lily’s expression changed slightly, but soon, she calmly smiled and acted casually. “If you like our design plans, you can use it as you like.”

After that, she calmly sat down next to Sasha.

However, Myra was tightly clenching both her fists on each side.

It was the most embarrassing presentation she ever had to make since she started working long ago. The designs aren’t mine, the data isn’t mine, and the idea isn’t mine either… At least, this is what everyone will think. However, only I know that all of this is actually my idea. Only I understand the teeth-gritting grievance that I’m experiencing now.

After Myra awkwardly ‘repeated’ everything that Lily said, everyone was in disbelief as they fell into complete silence. A few pairs of eyes seemed to poke holes all over Myra’s body, and soon after, a loud discussion erupted in the meeting room.

“Miss Stark, what do you think you are doing? Are you admitting defeat or are you blatantly plagiarising the Hay Group’s designs?” A deputy project manager among the audience took the initiative to express his dissatisfaction. “We are still waiting for the Chase Group’s design, but instead, you repeated the Hay Group’s presentation. Is this the answer that you are giving us?”

At that moment, Myra tried her best to stay calm as she scanned through the audience below her. Almost everyone’s eyes were filled with disdain and dissatisfaction.

Immediately, her back stiffened while her clothes were soaked in sweat. “Actually… I also find this strange—why is our presentation looking exactly the same as the Hay Group’s?”

Immediately, it caused an uproar in the meeting room.

Myra’s words were secretly implying that she was actually the owner of the design plans, which meant that the Hay Group obtained the plans through dubious means.

“Myra, you are now crossing the line. You obviously brought your own design plans, but you refuse to use it. Instead, you insist on using our plans, but rather than thanking us, you claim that our design plans are the same as yours. Are you accusing the Hay Group of plagiarizing the Chase Group’s designs?!”